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Background: Historically, life expectancy in persons with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been shorter than the general population, but earlier studies did not stratify patients according to cardiorenal complications. Methods: T1D persons were identified in the Swedish National Diabetes Registry (n=45,575) and compared with matched controls from the general population (n=220,141) . Mortality rates from 2002 to 20were estimated in persons with T1D overall and after stratification for prevalent cardiovascular and renal disease. Results: In persons with T1D, mean age was 32.4 years and 44.9% were women. Age- and sex- adjusted mortality rates decreased over time in both groups but remained significantly higher in those with T1D during 2017 to 2019. In T1D persons ≥45 years without previous renal or cardiovascular complications (approximately 50% of persons in this age group) similar standardized mortality rates were observed, over time compared with controls, with slightly lower mortality in T1D persons during the last period, 5.55 (95% CI 4.51-6.60) vs. 7. (95% CI 6.75-7.40) deaths per 1,000 person years (Figure) . Conclusion: Excess mortality persisted over time in persons with T1D, largely in patients with cardiorenal complications. Improved secondary prevention with a focus on differentiated treatment is needed to close the gap in mortality for persons with T1D. Disclosure S. Hallström: None. M.O. Wijkman: None. J. Ludvigsson: Advisory Panel; Dompé. Research Support; Diamyd Medical. M.A. Pfeffer: Consultant; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly Alliance, Corvidia Therapeutics, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novo Nordisk, Peerbridge, Sanofi. Research Support; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Other Relationship; DalCor Pharmaceuticals, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. A. Rosengren: None. M. Lind: Consultant; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk. Research Support; Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk. Funding ALF [ALFGBG-717211] and [ALFGBG-966173], grants from the Novo Nordisk foundation, Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation [20180589], [20210679], Swedish Research Council [2018-02527] [VRREG 2019-00193], and the Gothenburg Society of Medicine.

Aims Chronic low back pain due to degenerative disc disease is sometimes treated with fusion. We compared the outcome of three different fusion techniques in the Swedish Spine Register: noninstrumented posterolateral fusion (PLF), instrumented posterolateral fusion (IPLF), and interbody fusion (IBF). Patients and Methods A total of 2874 patients who were operated on at one or two lumbar levels were followed for a mean of 9.2 years (3.6 to 19.1) for any additional lumbar spine surgery. Patient-reported outcome data were available preoperatively (n = 2874) and at one year (n = 2274), two years (n = 1958), and a mean of 6.9 years (n = 1518) postoperatively and consisted of global assessment and visual analogue scales of leg and back pain, Oswestry Disability Index, EuroQol five-dimensional index, 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, and satisfaction with treatment. Statistical analyses were performed with competing-risks proportional hazards regression or analysis of covariance, adjusted for baseline variables. Results The number of patients with additional surgery were 32/183 (17%) in the PLF group, 229/1256 (18%) in the IPLF group, and 439/1435 (31%) in the IBF group. With the PLF group as a reference, the hazard ratio for additional lumbar surgery was 1.16 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78 to 1.72) for the IPLF group and 2.13 (95% CI 1.45 to 3.12) for the IBF group. All patient-reported outcomes improved after surgery (p < 0.001) but were without statistically significant differences between the groups at the one-, two- and 6.9-year follow-ups (all p ≥ 0.12). Conclusion The addition of interbody fusion to posterolateral fusion was associated with a higher risk for additional surgery and showed no advantages in patient-reported outcome Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1526–1533

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Data on the long-term outcome after fusion for isthmic spondylolisthesis are scarce. PURPOSE To study patient-reported outcomes and adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) after fusion for isthmic spondylolisthesis and to compare patient-reported outcomes with a control group. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING A prospective study including a cross-sectional control group. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) (n=86) or posterolateral fusion (PLF) (n=77). Patient-reported outcome data were available for 73 patients in the PLIF group and 71 in the PLF group at a mean of 11 (range 5–16) years after baseline. Seventy-seven patients in the PLIF group and 54 in the PLF group had radiographs at a mean of 14 (range 9–19) years after baseline. One hundred thirty-six randomly selected persons from the population served as controls for the patient-reported outcomes. OUTCOME MEASURES Patient-reported outcomes include the following: global outcome, Oswestry Disability Index, Disability Rating Index, and Short Form 36. The ASD was determined from radiographs using the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) grading scale. METHODS : The chi-square test or analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for group comparisons. The ANCOVA was adjusted for follow-up time, smoking, Meyerding slippage grade, teetotaler (yes/no) and, if available, the baseline level of the dependent variable. RESULTS There were no significant patient-reported outcome differences between the PLIF group and the PLF group. The prevalence of ASD was 42% (32/77) in the PLIF group and 26% (14/54) in the PLF group (p=.98). The patient-reported outcome data indicated lower physical function and more pain in individuals with surgically treated isthmic spondylolisthesis compared to the controls. CONCLUSIONS PLIF and PLF groups had similar long-term patient-reported and radiological outcomes. Individuals with isthmic spondylolisthesis have lower physical function and more pain several years after surgery when compared to the general population.

Objective. Long-term oral glucocorticoid (GC) use is associated with increased mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of the study was to investigate whether there is excess mortality among oral GC users, regardless of the underlying disease. Methods. This was a retrospective case-control study. Information on dispensed prescriptions was obtained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register. Patients receiving ≥5 mg prednisolone (or equivalent dose of other GC) daily for ≥21 days between 2007-2014 were included. For each patient, a control person, matched for age and sex, was included. The cause of death was obtained from the Swedish Cause-of-Death Registry. Hazard ratio (HR) for mortality was calculated by using Cox proportional hazard model and by the log-rank test. The GC users were divided into four groups according to the length of GC treatment: 1) single-occasion users 2) occasional users ( 300 tablets/year for ≤ 2 consecutive years); and 4) long-term users (>300 tablets/year for > 2 consecutive years). Results. Of 1,585,335 inhabitants in Western Sweden, 223,211 GC users (women 55.6%) were identified for the analysis. The mean age was 48 ± 24 years. Median follow-up time was 3.6 years for GC users and 3.9 years for matched controls. The overall HR for death in oral GC users was 2.26 (95% CI 2.21-2.31). After exclusion of patients with malignant neoplasm, the HR for death was 1.41 (95% CI 1.38-1.45); 1.33 (95% CI 1.27-1.38) in single-occasion GC users (n=112,196), 1.36 (95% CI 1.30-1.42) in occasional users (n=63,862), 1.89 (95% CI 1.79-1.99) in medium-term users (n=19,129) and 1.67 (95% CI 1.51-1.84) in long-term users (n=7,191). The highest HRs were observed for deaths from heart failure (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.63-1.80), sepsis (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.51-1.94), and pulmonary embolism (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.58-2.21). Conclusion. GC users have excess mortality compared to the background population. This illustrates the importance of surveillance for patients on oral GC treatment where adverse effects should be monitored and, when indicated, appropriately treated.

BACKGROUND Various methods for the treatment of isthmic spondylolisthesis are available. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes after posterolateral fusion without instrumentation, posterolateral fusion with instrumentation, and interbody fusion. METHODS The Swedish Spine Register was used to identify 765 patients who had been operated on for isthmic spondylolisthesis and had at least preoperative and 2-year outcome data; 586 of them had longer follow-up (a mean of 6.9 years). The outcome measures were a global assessment of leg and back pain, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) Questionnaire, the Short Form-36 (SF-36), a visual analog scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, and satisfaction with treatment. Data on additional lumbar spine surgery was searched for in the register, with the mean duration of follow-up for this variable being 10.6 years after the index procedure. Statistical analyses were performed with analysis of covariance or competing-risks proportional hazards regression, adjusted for baseline differences in the studied variables, smoking, employment status, and level of fusion. RESULTS Posterolateral fusion without instrumentation was performed in 102 patients; posterolateral fusion with instrumentation, in 452; and interbody fusion, in 211. At 1 year, improvement was reported in the global assessment for back pain by 54% of the patients who had posterolateral fusion without instrumentation, 68% of those treated with posterolateral fusion with instrumentation, and 70% of those treated with interbody fusion (p = 0.009). The VAS for back pain and reported satisfaction with treatment showed similar patterns (p = 0.003 and p = 0.017, respectively), whereas other outcomes did not differ among the treatment groups at 1 year. At 2 years, the global assessment for back pain indicated improvement in 57% of the patients who had undergone posterolateral fusion without instrumentation, 70% of those who had posterolateral fusion with instrumentation, and 71% of those treated with interbody fusion (p = 0.022). There were no significant outcome differences at the mean 6.9-year follow-up interval. There was an increased hazard ratio for additional lumbar spine surgery after interbody fusion (4.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.71 to 11.03) and posterolateral fusion with instrumentation (2.56; 95% CI = 1.02 to 6.42) compared with after posterolateral fusion without instrumentation (1.00; reference). CONCLUSIONS Fusion with instrumentation, with or without interbody fusion, was associated with more improvement in back pain scores and higher satisfaction with treatment compared with fusion without instrumentation at 1 year, but the difference was attenuated with longer follow-up. Fusion with instrumentation was associated with a significantly higher risk of additional spine surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Whiplash-associated disorder is a common cause of chronic neck pain. Several radiological cervical angular variables are suggested to have constitutional characteristics, that is, them being minimally influenced by body positioning. However, the association between these variables and pain conditions remains poorly understood. To our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the association between constitutional angular variables and the outcome after whiplash trauma. PURPOSE Our objectives were (1) to study the inter-rater agreement of sagittal radiologic variables between 2 raters and (2) to investigate any association between these variables and self-perceived nonrecovery after whiplash injury. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE Forty-six patients aged 16 to 70 years, attending an emergency department after a motor vehicle accident resulting in neck pain were recruited. OUTCOME MEASURES Self-perceived nonrecovery (yes/no) was the primary outcome measure. The secondary outcome measure was pain level on a numeric rating scale. METHODS The participants underwent computed tomography scans in a supine position. Sagittal alignment variables (T1 slope, neck tilt, thoracic inlet angle [TIA], and C2–C7 angle) on the computed tomography scans were measured by 2 independent raters. Inter-rater agreement was tested with a paired sample t test and Bland-Altman plots for each variable. The patients were followed up after 6 months. RESULTS No systematic differences for the assessed variables were found between the 2 raters. The overall nonrecovery rate was 28%. For the group with low neck tilt, the nonrecovery rate was 50% (95% CI: 36%–78%) and for the group with high neck tilt, 8% (95% CI: 3%–25%). The nonrecovery rate for the group low TIA was 50% (95% CI 29%–72%) and for those with high TIA 14% (95% CI 4%–26%). The associations remained significant after adjustments for possible confounders. The inter-rater analysis shows satisfactory agreement without proportional bias. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates the existence of an association between the constitutional sagittal alignment of the cervical spine and the outcome after whiplash injuries.

Objective Glucocorticoids (GCs) are a cornerstone in treating various common and uncommon diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of GC use in terms of doses associated with risk of tertiary adrenal insufficiency in adults and children, and treatment indications. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study. Information on dispensed prescriptions was obtained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register. Patients with prescriptions of prednisolone (or equivalent dose of other GCs) ≥5 mg daily for ≥21 days between 2007 and 2014 were included. Information on concurrent diseases was obtained from the Swedish National Patient Register and the Vastra Gotaland Regional Healthcare Database. Results Of 1 585 335 inhabitants in Vastra Gotaland County, 223 211 were included in the study (women 55.6%). Mean age was 48 ± 24 years. Period prevalence of oral GC use during the 8-year study period was 14.1%. The highest prevalence (27.4%) was in men aged 80-89 years and lowest (7.5%) in men 10-19 years of age. The period prevalence in children 0-9 years of age was 10.6%. COPD and asthma were the most common indications for treatment (17.2%) followed by allergy (12.5%) and malignant neoplasms (11.5%). Allergy was the most frequent indication (20.5%) in children and adolescents. Conclusion Between 2007 and 2014, every seventh inhabitant in western Sweden received a GC prescription at doses associated with risk of developing tertiary adrenal insufficiency. These findings illustrate the importance of awareness of the potential development of tertiary adrenal insufficiency in both paediatric and adult patients.

Loss to follow-up in observational studies may skew results and hamper study reliability. We evaluated the importance of loss to follow-up in the Swedish spine register. Patients operated in the lumbar spine and scheduled for a postal questionnaire follow-up during part of 2016 were identified. Out of the 351 patients, 203 had responded. After multiple attempts, 115 of the 148 non-responders were reached; 68 returned the complete questionnaire; and 47 answered a brief questionnaire by phone. Analyses were made with the Chi-square test, analysis of covariance or logistic regression. Some analyses were adjusted. At baseline, the non-responders were younger than the responders (55 vs 61 years, p

Background: Low back pain (LBP) with or without lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is one of the most commonly found symptoms worldwide. The etiology is often unclear, but a low-grade infection caused by the anaerobic skin bacterium Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes), sometimes found on culture during LDH surgery, has been suggested as a cause. Given worldwide concern over multidrug resistant bacteria, further investigation is highly warranted. Our study aimed to compare findings regarding bacterial presence in painful lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD) in adults having LDH with findings in young patients with scoliosis, but without DDD or relevant lumbar pain. Methods: Between 2015 and 2017, 40 adults with LDH (median age 43, IQR 33-49) and 20 patients with scoliosis (median age 17, IQR 15-20) underwent surgery at seven Swedish hospitals. Samples were collected and cultured from skin, surgical wound, discs and vertebrae. Genetic relatedness of C. acnes isolates was investigated using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. DNA samples collected from discs/vertebrae were analysed using 16S rRNA-based PCR sequencing. Preoperative MRI findings were assessed for inflammatory Modic changes. Findings: No bacterial growth was found in 6/40 (15%) LDH patients, compared with 3/20 (15%) scoliosis patients. A single species, C. acnes, was found exclusively in the disc/vertebra from one patient in each group; in the LDH group, 29/40 (72%) patients had at least one sample with growth of C. acnes, while the corresponding figure in the scoliosis group was 14/20 (70%). There was no association between bacterial findings and Modic changes. Interpretations: The results suggest that finding bacteria like C. acnes in discs and vertebrae during surgery is likely due to contamination. Antibiotic use to treat LBP/LDH without signs of clinical discitis/spondylitis should be seriously questioned. Funding Statement: The study was funded by FORSS, a Swedish regional research foundation Declaration of Interests: The authors state: " no conflicts of interest to declare." Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the ethical committee in Linkoping (EPN, Ref. no. 2015/152-31). All patients gave their written informed consent.

Purpose To compare bacterial findings in pain-generating degenerated discs in adults operated on for lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and mostly also suffering from low back pain (LBP), with findings in adolescent patients with non-degenerated non-pain-generating discs operated on for scoliosis, and to evaluate associations with Modic signs on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cutibacterium acnes (Propionibacterium acnes) has been found in painful degenerated discs, why it has been suggested treating patients with LDH/LBP with antibiotics. As multidrug-resistant bacteria are a worldwide concern, new indications for using antibiotics should be based on solid scientific evidence. Methods Between 2015 and 2017, 40 adults with LDH/LBP (median age 43, IQR 33–49) and 20 control patients with scoliosis (median age 17, IQR 15–20) underwent surgery at seven Swedish hospitals. Samples were cultured from skin, surgical wound, discs and vertebrae. Genetic relatedness of C. acnes isolates was investigated using single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. DNA samples collected from discs/vertebrae were analysed using 16S rRNA-based PCR sequencing. MRI findings were assessed for Modic changes. Results No bacterial growth was found in 6/40 (15%) LDH patients, compared with 3/20 (15%) scoliosis patients. Most positive samples in both groups were isolated from the skin and then from subcutis or deep within the wound. Of the four disc and vertebral samples from each of the 60 patients, 235/240 (98%) were DNA negative by bacterial PCR. A single species, C. acnes, was found exclusively in the disc/vertebra from one patient in each group. In the LDH group, 29/40 (72%) patients had at least one sample with growth of C. acnes, compared to 14/20 (70%) in the scoliosis group. Bacterial findings and Modic changes were not associated. Conclusions Cutibacterium acnes found in discs and vertebrae during surgery for disc herniation in adults with degenerated discs may be caused by contamination, as findings in this group were similar to findings in a control group of young patients with scoliosis and non-degenerated discs. Furthermore, such findings were almost always combined with bacterial findings on the skin and/or in the wound. There was no association between preoperative Modic changes and bacterial findings. Antibiotic treatment of lumbar disc herniation with sciatica and/or low back pain, without signs of clinical discitis/spondylitis, should be seriously questioned. Graphic abstract These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Unfortunately, the 5th author name was incorrectly published in the original paper. The complete correct name is given below.